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Ten years later, the hairbrush has finally been returned to parents, Gerry and Kate, who vowed to do "whatever it takes for as long as it takes" to find their daughter, The Mirror reports.

And last week, British detectives working on the case revealed they're now pursuing a "significant" line of inquiry.

In an interview to mark the 10th anniversary of Maddie's disappearance, Gerry and Kate spoke of their enduring hope that one day a sighting or a breakthrough in the investigation will give them the answers they've waited a decade for.

Gerry and Kate McCann with an age-enhanced artist's impression of Madeleine (Image: PA)

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Gerry, now 48, said: “Before Madeleine was taken, we felt we had managed to achieve our little perfect nuclear family of five.

"We had that for a short period and, almost the same way as if your child becomes ill or seriously ill, or has died, like many other families have suffered... then your vision is altered and you have to adapt.

“You adapt and you have a new normality. Unfortunately for us a new normality is a family of four. But we have adapted, that’s important.”

The three-year-old pictured on the day she disappeared (Image: PA)

Speaking about her twin children, Kate said: “One of our goals – while obviously ultimately finding Madeleine – was to ensure Sean and Amelie have a very normal, happy and fulfilling life and we’ll do everything that we can to ensure that.

"Obviously massive events like this cause a lot of reaction, a lot of trauma and upset. But ultimately you have to keep going, especially when you have got other children involved.

“I do all the present buying. I obviously have to think about what age she is and something that, whenever we find her, will still be appropriate so there’s a lot of thought goes into it.